Cleaning machine



CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 I JOSEPH L. LOMURA INVENTOR ATTORNEY 'kuo J. L. LA MURA CLEANING MACHINE July 4, 1967 2 Sheets- 531891 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1965 FIG.4

Ferromagnetic JOSEPH L. La MU RA INVENTOR 5 ksu f Ferromogmaiic ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,328,821 CLEANING MACHINE Joseph L. La Mura, 366 Passaic Ave, West Caldwell, NJ. 07701 Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,548 Claims. (Cl. 15-102) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning machine is described for liquid cleaning of non-magnetic sheets. The sheets are moved in a restricted path by a single power roller making two contacts with the sheet as it is moved through the machine. A sponge cleaning roller, immersed in a cleaning solution, rubs the surface to be cleaned and a pair of resilient blades wipe off the excess solution. Two idler rollers resiliently clamp the sheet to the power roller by a plurality of permanent magnets positioned inside the idler rollers.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning plastic sheets. The device has special reference to a means for cleaning plastic transparent sheets which have been used for the accumulation of data such as Scoreboards.

There are many applications in industry and in sports where plastic transparent score sheets are employed to mark down data that have been observed on scientific indicating instruments or the scores of contestants during a game. These score sheets are generally marked with permanent ink in a specialized manner whereby certain quantities are to be entered into specific areas for final summation or for combination with other data on the same score sheet. Because some of these score sheets or data sheets are somewhat complicated in the array of recording areas, it is desirable that they be retained for other and future observations or scores after the initial use.

The present invention is for cleaning or dissolving of the entered data symbols and figures without removing the permanent markings which designate the allotted areas. To this end, a small machine is used which will remove the entered data with a minimum of effort and thereby eliminate the usual wiping, scrubbing, and the excessive use of dirty rags or other scrubbing materials which may be necessary when the score sheets are cleaned by hand.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved cleaning device which avoids One or more of the disadvantages and limitations of prior art arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the use of rags and a cleaning solution contained in a bottle.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the possibility of spilling a solvent on the hands or on other objects adjacent to the cleaning area.

Another object of the invention is to save time. The use of this machine requires less operators and makes more cleaned score sheets available in less time.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the quantity of cleaning solution necessary for erasing entered data on a score sheet.

The invention includes a cleaning device having a main power roller operated by an electric motor. The score sheets are fed over the top of this roller and underneath an idler roller which is resiliently stressed into contact with the main roller by magnetic means. The score sheet is directed through two curved sheets and onto the top of a cleaning roller which is rotated by electrical power and operates to turn in a direction opposite to that of the movement of the score sheet. The cleaning roller is covered with an absorbent material which is partially immersed in a solvent liquid. After leaving the cleaning roller the score sheet passes through two rubber blades which "ice remove most of the solvent. The rubber blades act as a directing means to force the score sheet onto the bottom portion of the main power roller and thereby deliver it to the front portion of the machine where the operator may pick it up in its cleaned condition. A second idler roller is positioned at the bottom of the machine and is stressed by magnetic means to make contact with the bottom portion of the roller.

One of the main features of the invention is the magnetic system which forces both idler rollers against the main roller during the passage of the score sheet. By this means springs are eliminated and the magnetic force of attraction decreases as the distance between rollers increases. This feature permits easy cleaning of the machine and prevents personal injury.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the machine showing the first guiding surface, the top resilient roller and the two guiding surfaces which direct the score sheet toward the cleaning roller.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine showing the position of the motor, the pulleys, and the driving belts.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the machine taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of one form of one of the idler rollers and indicates how a number of disk permanent magnets may be disposed in order to create a resilient force attracting the idler rollers to the main roller.

Referring now to the figures, the machine includes a base 10 which supports all the operating parts. Two side plates 11 and 12 are mounted on the base at right angles thereto and support all the rollers and an electric motor 13. The machine includes a guide shelf 14 with turned up edges 15 and 16 for guiding the score sheet into the machine. A main roller 17 is rotatably supported in the middle of the machine formovirrg the score sheet into and out of the cleaning position. Directly on top of the main roller is an idler roller 18 which is resiliently pressed against the surface of the main roller for moving the score sheet from the guiding shelf into the machine. Directly on the bottom of the main roller is a second idler roller 20 similar to idler 18 and also resiliently pressed against the main roller. The upper idler 18 is held by two rockable arms 21 and 22 and the lower idler roller 20 is supported in a similar manner by arms 23 and 24.

The main roller 17 is journaled in bushings 25 and 26 by a shaft 27 and this shaft is connected to two pulleys 28 and 3t). Pulley 28 is connected by a belt 31 to a power pulley 32 which is connected to a shaft turned by motor 13. Pulley 30 is connected by a belt 33 to turn a smaller pulley 34 connected to a shaft 35 which supports the cleaning roller 36. The cleaning roller is covered with a layer of absorbent material 37 such as lambs wool or sponge rubber and this material dips into a cleaning solution 38 contained in a trough 40. The cleaning solution may be added to the trough whenever needed by the operator. Or, a reservoir bottle 41 (FIG. 3) may be positioned as shown to maintain the level of the cleaning solution at a predetermined position for an extended period of operation. The reservoir bottle 41 is terminated by a spout 42 which extends into the cleaning solution.

In order to guide the sheet to be cleaned into positive contact with the absorbent material 37, two guide sheets 43 and 44- are positioned as shown in FIG. 4 with a flared entrance throat 45 and a partially constricted exit 46. The lower terminal of guide sheet 44 supports an upper plastic sheet 47 which normally makes contact with a lower sheet 48. These sheets extend across the entire width of the machine and when the sheet to be cleaned is forced into contact with these strips they wipe the cleaning solution from the sheet and the excess solution drops back into trough 40.

The operation of this device is evident from the above description of the machine components. The operator enters the sheet onto the shelf 14- and pushes it into contact with rollers 18 and 17. The rollers move the sheet through the guide sheets 43 and 44 and into contact with the cleaning rollers 36 which rotates faster than the main roller 17 and in a direction which is opposite to the direction of motion of the sheet to be cleaned. This action supplies the necesary solution to the sheet and removes all the dirt and data which have ben applied to one side. The sheet next passes through the contact position of rollers 17 and 2t and is delivered to the front of the machine in a cleaned and partially dried condition where the operator may pick it up for another accumulation of data.

It is obvious from the above description that the sheet to be cleaned must be long enough to extend from the contact position between rollers 18 and 17, through guide sheets 43 and 44, to the bottom contact position between rollers 20 and 17.

One of the features of this machine is the manner in which the rollers 18 and 20 are resiliently urged into contact with the main roller 17. While the application of springs is obvious, it has been found that this type of arrangement includes a safety hazard since an operators fingers may be easily caught betwen these rollers and in the usual spring type assembly the force of the springs increases as the distance between rollers is lengthened. The present invention employs a magnetic means for the resilient retention of the idler rollers 18 and 2% adjacent to the main roller 28. Many types of magnetic arrangements may be employed, one of these being shown in detail in FIG. 5. If an operators finger gets caught between these rollers the first separation immediately reduces the contact force to a very low value and the operator is not harmed. Aside from the safety feature, the machine is easier to clean and does not have the added annoyance of two large springs extending along the sides of the plates 11 and 12.

The arrangement of magnets as shown in FIG. 3 is one means for providing a resilient force to retain rollers 17, 18, and 20 in contact. In rollers 18 and 20 ring magnets 50 are positioned along the roller axis and these cooperate with similar magnetized rings 51 positioned along the axis of roller 17. Similar magnets 52 are included in roller 20. The magnets may be made of any one of the permanent magnet materials having very high coercive force. It is obvious that the other portions of the rollers adjacent to the magnets are made of non-magnetic material, such as brass.

A more eificient magnetic system is shown in FIG. where roller 18 is provided with disk permanent magnets 53 and 53A. Magnets 53 have their north pole around the periphery of the disk while the south pole is adjoining the central hole. Alternate magnets 53A have the same dimensions but are magnetized so that the south pole is at the periphery of the disk and the north pole is adjoining the central hole. In this alternate arrangement the cylindrical material which forms roller 17 is made of soft iron and the shaft 54 which supports roller 18 and roller is also made of soft iron or any other good ferromagnetic material. The cross sectional view shown in FIG. 5 shows that a complete magnetic circuit is produced when the magnets are assembled in this manner. The arrows show that the flux lines may be traced through shaft 54,

4 the north and south poles of magnet 53A, then through the soft iron roller 17 and back through the north-south poles of magnet 53. This arrangement produces by far the greatest attractive force to hold the rollers together.

Laboratory tests have shown that this type of cleaning mechanism operates fast and efiiciently to provide excellent cleaning action. While this device was primarily intended to be used for cleaning data sheets, it is obvious that it may be used in a number of other applications.

The foregoing disclosure and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. The only limitations are to be determined from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning machine for removing characters and dirt from non-magnetic data sheets comprising; a single cylindrical power roller mounted adjacent to a guide shelf where data sheets may be entered into the machine by an operator, said power roller coupled to an electric motor for rotation thereby; a first cylindrical idler roller having its axis mounted parallel to the axis of the power roller and adjacent to the guide shelf, said first idler roller normally held in resilient contact with the power roller by permanent magnetic means positioned within the two rollers; a second cylindrical idler roller spaced from the first, having its axis mounted parallel to the axis of the power roller and adjacent to a position where the data sheets may be delivered after cleaning; said second idler roller normally held in resilient contact with the power roller by permanent magnetic means positioned within the two rollers; a cleaning roller mounted with its axis parallel to the power roller and partly immersed in a cleaning fluid, said cleaning roller positioned adjacent to said second idler roller and coupled to the power roller for rotation; and guiding means for guiding the data sheet to be cleaned from a position adjoining the first idler roller to the cleaning roller position and to the second idler roller.

2. A cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means includes a plurality of permanent magnets secured to the power roller and adjoining its cylindrical surface.

3. A cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means includes a plurality of disk permanent magnets mounted in axial alignment with said idler rollers, said magnets magnetized so that one magnetic pole is disposed along the entire periphery of each disk.

4. A cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnetic means includes a plurality of disk permanent magnets mounted in axial alignment with said idler rollers and having the disk peripheries flush with the outer surface of the idler rollers and wherein the outer surface of the power roller is made of ferromagnetic material.

5. A cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pair of resilient wiping blades is positioned along the path of the data sheet to make wiping contact therewith after the data sheet has been in contact with the cleaning roller and to direct the data sheet toward a contact position adjoining the second idler roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,945,274 1/1934 Hormel l5l02 2,695,591 11/1954 Bass et al. l18-252 X 3,237,231 3/1966 Zink 15-102 3,239,869 3/1966 Komatsu 15-2562 CHARLES A. VVILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLEANING MACHINE FOR REMOVING CHARACTERS AND DIRT FROM NON-MAGNETIC DATA SHEETS COMPRISING; A SINGLE CYLINDRICAL POWER ROLLER MOUNTED ADJACENT TO A GUIDE SHELF WHERE DATA SHEETS MAY BE ENTERED INTO THE MACHINE BY AN OPERATOR, SAID POWER ROLLER COUPLED TO EN ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR ROTATION THEREBY; A FIRST CYLINDRICAL IDLER ROLLER HAVING ITS AXIS MOUNTED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE POWER ROLLER AND ADJACENT TO THE GUIDE SHELF, SAID FIRST IDLER ROLLER NORMALLY HELD IN RESILIENT CONTACT WITH THE POWER ROLLER BY PERMANENT MAGNETIC MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN THE TWO ROLLERS; A SECOND CYLINDRICAL IDLER ROLLER SPACED FROM THE FIRST, HAVING ITS AXIS MOUNTED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE POWER ROLLER AND ADJACENT TO A POSITION WHERE THE DATA SHEETS MAY BE DELIVERED AFTER CLEANING; SAID SECOND IDLER ROLLER NORMALLY HELD IN RESILIENT CONTACT WITH THE POWER ROLLER BY PERMANENT MAGNETIC MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN THE TWO ROLLERS; A CLEANING ROLLER MOUNTED WITH ITS AXIS 